Adjustable hand disk cultivator.



J. W. WATSON.

ADJUSTABLE HAND DISK OULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1909.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

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APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1909.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

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JOHN W. WATSON, OF NEWTON,

IOWA.

ADJUSTABLE HAND DISK CULTIVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Application filed May 5, 1909. Serial No. 494,071.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. WATSON, citizen of the United States,residing at Newton, in the county of Jasper and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Hand DiskCultivators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cultivators and more particularly to a handcultivator especially designed for use in truck gardens for cultivatingstrawberries, onions, beets and other growing crops.

The object of the invention is to provide a cultivator including asupporting frame or carriage having a plurality of concavoconvex disksmounted for rotation thereon and adjustable laterally with respect tothe carriage, thereby to turn the soil and throw the latter toward oraway from the growing plants.

A further object is to provide a cultivator having one or more trailingdisks arranged to travel at the rear of a gang of revolving disks forthe purpose of leveling the soil after being acted upon by said gang ofdisks.

A further object is to provide the supporting frame or carriage withdepending lifting fingers which serve the dual function of breaking theground and elevating vines and the like so as to permit the passage ofthe gang disks.

A further object is to provide a cultivator, the construction of whichis such as to permit the ready removal of the disks and trailers and theattachment of one or more hoes when the device is used for shallowsurface cultivation.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability, andefficiency. 7

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description,it being understood that various changes in form, proportions, and minordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the meansfor eflecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hand cultivator constructed inaccordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view looking at therear end of the cultivator; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of oneof the disk carriers and associated parts; Fig. 4 is a perspective viewof one of the disk carriers, the slide, filling block, trailing bar anda portion of the carrier support being shown in spaced relation abovesaid disk carrier; Fig. 5 is a side elevation partly in section, of ahoe attachment for use in connection with the cultivator.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings, by the samereference characters.

The improved hand cultivator forming the subject matter of the presentinvention, comprises a carriage or truck including an arched frame 5having laterally extending stub axles 6 upon which are mounted thetraction wheels 7 Secured in any suitable manner to the side members ofthe frame 5 are brackets 8 having their lower ends spaced from theadjacent walls of the frame 5 and provided with openings for thereception of the stub axles 6. Seated in the pockets formed by thebrackets 8, are the inner ends of a pair of handle bars 9 having theirintermediate portions provided with elongated slots 10 and theirterminals formed with hand grips 1]. to facilitate guiding thecultivator when the latter is caused to travel over or between the rowsof growing crops.

Interposed between the handle bars 9 at the slotted portions 10 thereof,is a yoke 12, the opposite legs of which are bent laterally to formhorizontally disposed arms 13 having elongated slots 14 formed therein,for the purpose hereinafter referred to.

Slidably mounted 011 the lower face of each horizontal arm 13, is aplate 15 having oppositely disposed dove-tailed flanges 16 which engagecorrespondingly shaped grooves 17 formed in the opposite longitudinaledges of the arms 18, thereby to permit adjustment of the plate 15 onthe arm 13, While at the same time preventing accidental separation ofthe parts.

Depending from each arm 13 is a disk carrier 18 preferably U-shaped incontour as shown, and arranged to bear against the lower face of theadjacent adjustable plate 15, the lower face of the plate 15 and theupper face of the carrier frame being provided with oppositely disposedteeth or serrations 19 adapted to interlock and thus hold the carrierframe at different positions of angular adjustment with respect to thecarriage. v

Secured to the opposite arms of each carrier frame, is a shaft 20, uponwhich are mounted for rotation a plurality of concavoconvex disks 21adapted to turn the soil and throw the same laterally as the machine iscaused to travel over the surface of a field or other area. Each disk 21is provided with a tubular member or collar 22 which serves to spacesaid disks and maintain the same in proper relation to each other. Eachdisk carrier is pivotally connected with the adj acent horizontal arm,13 by means of a bolt or similar fastening device 23, which latterpasses through alined openings in the yoke of the disk carrier andsliding plate respectively, and also through the slot 14: in theadjacent horizontal arm 13 for engagement with a clamping nut, indicatedat 24:. Thus itwill be seen that by loosening the nuts 24, the diskcarriers may be oscillated on the horizontal arms 13 so as to P rmit theangular adjustment of each set of disks with relation to the supportingframe.

Attention is called to the fact that when the disks are in the positionshown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the soil will be thrown away from thegrowing plants or crops, and when the position of the disks arereversed, the disks will throw the earth toward the growing plants andthus cover the roots of the latter, the removal and replacement of thedisksv being effected by manipulating the fastening device 23.

As a means for leveling the soil after the passage of the gang ofrevolving disks 21, there is provided a pair of trailing disks 25 alsopreferably concavo-convex in cross section and each mounted on a stubshaft extending laterally from a rearwardly projecting bar 26 mounted onthe adjacent horizontal arm 13. The bars 26 are inclined downwardly andrearwardly, while the fixed ends thereof are flattened and provided withperforations for the reception of the bolts 23, the lower face of eachflattened portion being provided with serrations or corrugations 2(adapted to engage similar corrugations on a filling block 28. Thefilling block 28 rests on the upper surface of the adjacent arm 13 andis provided with a depending lug 29 adapted to enter the adjacent slot14, there being an opening formed in the filling block and intersectingthe lug 29 to permit the passage of the bolt 23. Thus it will be seenthat by loosening the nuts 24, the bars carrying the trailing disks 25may be adjusted laterally with respect to the yoke and securely lockedin adjusted position by tightening said nuts.

Slidably mounted for vertical movement on suitable rods 30 carried bythe yoke 12,

are lifting fingers 31, the free ends of which are deflected laterallyin front of the revolving disks 21 so as to pick up vines and othertrailing vegetation and elevate the same, thereby permitting the passageof the disks 21 when the machine is in operation. The fixed ends of thelifting fingers 31 are provided with suitable clips 32 which embrace therods 30 and are pierced by clamping bolts 33 so that the lifting fingersmay be adjusted vertically of the rods and securely locked in adjustedposition.

Secured to the opposite sides ofthe arched frame 5, are parallel bars 34which extend vertically above the frame to permit the attachment of adraft device. The draft device comprises convergingbars 35 having theirinner ends secured to the yoke 12 by suitable clamping nuts 36 and theirouter ends brought together and deflected laterally as shown in Fig. 2of the drawings, one of the bars being extended beyond the other andprovided with a terminal hook 37 for attachment to a draft animal. Thevertical bars. 34: are provided with a series of spaced perforations 38for the reception of the clamping bolts or other fastening devices so asto permit the draft attachment to be adjusted vertically of thecarriage.

The yoke 12 is reinforced and strengthened by the provision of a pair ofconverging braces 39 having their inner ends attached to the stub axles6 and their outer ends fastened to the adjacent legs of the yoke 12.Thus it will be seen that by adjusting the braces, 39, the yoke 12 maybe tilted in either direction so as to regulate the depth cut by thegang of disks. The legs of the yoke 12 are formed with a series ofnotches or depressions 40 which receive U- shaped clamping bolts 41, thelatter being extended through the elongated slots 10 of the handle bars9 for retaining the yoke in position between said handle bars.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings, there is illustrated a hoe attachment for usein connection with the cultivator, each hoe comprising a blade 42 havingits inner end bent upwardly and one longitudinal edge thereof providedwith a shank, the upper end of which is re duced to form a shoulder 43adapted to enter the slot in the adjacent horizontal arm 13, saidshoulder being provided with a threaded extension 4-1 for engagementwith a clamping nut 45, whereby the hoe may be adjusted laterally withrespect to the arm 13 and securely locked in adjusted position on saidarm.

When the cultivator is employed for cul tivating strawberries, the disks21 may be used for cutting or trimming the runners of the vines, saiddisks also serving to turn the soil, as before stated. If it isnotdesired to trim the Vines, the lifting fingers 31 are positioned on theyoke 12 of the cultivator frame so as to elevate the vines and thuspermit the passage of the disks without affecting the growing plants.

Attention is here called to the fact that the trailing disks 25 areadjustable and reversible so as to throw the dirt inward or outward,this adjustment of the trailing disks being effected by removing thebolts and reversing the position of the trailers in the same manner asthe gang of disks 21. It will also be noted that the trailers 25 may beadjusted at any angle or inclination with respect to the length of themachine so as to cause the said trailers to throw the dirt eitherinwardly or outwardly, while at the same time tending to level thesurface of the soil after the latter is turned by the gang of revolvingdisks 21.

hen the device is used for shallow surface cultivation, the trailingdisks 25 and disk carriers are removed from the horizontal arms 13 andthe hoes secured in position on said arms by passing the threadedterminals of the shanks upwardly through the slots in the arms 13 andfastening the same by the clamping bolts.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction andoperation of the device will be understood by those skilled in the artand further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A disk cultivator including a wheeled frame, handle bars secured tothe frame, a yoke interposed between the handle bars, adjustable diskcarriers mounted on the yoke, concavo-convex disks mounted for rotationon the carriers, and trailing disks disposed at the rear of theconcavo-convex disks.

A disk cultivator including a Wheeled frame, handle bars secured to theframe, a yoke interposed between the handle bars and provided withlaterally extending arms, adjustable disk carriers mounted on said arms,trailing disks carried by the horizontal arms, and a single fasteningdevice for locking the trailing disks and carrier disks in adjustedposition.

A disk cultivator including a wheeled frame, handle bars secured to theframe, a yoke interposed between the handle bars and provided withoppositely disposed arms, plates slidably mounted on the arms, diskcarriers bearing against the plates, fastening devices piercing the diskcarriers, plates, and arms respectively, filling blocks having openingsfor the reception of the fastening devices, and trailing arms havinginterlocking engagement with the filling blocks and provided with disksmounted for rotation at the rear of the disk carriers.

at. A disk cultivator including a wheeled frame having a horizontallydisposed slotted arm provided with longitudinally disposed dove-tailedguiding grooves, a plate slidably mounted in said grooves and providedwith a serrated face, a disk carrier having a correspondingly serratedface for engagement with the serrated face of the plate, a clamp-ingbolt passing through the disk carrier, plate and slot in the armrespectively, and a clamping nut engaging the bolt for locking the diskcarrier in different positions of angular adjustment.

5. A disk cultivator including a wheeled frame having a horizontallydisposed slotted arm, a plate slidably mounted on said arm and havingits lower face serrated, a disk carrier having a correspondinglyserrated face for engagement with the serrated face of the plate, athreaded bolt passing through the disk carrier, plate and slot in thearm respectively, a filling block having a depending lug arranged toenter the slot in the arm and pierced by an opening for the reception ofthe adjacent bolt, a rearwardly extending arm having a trailing diskmounted for rotation thereon, the inner end of said arm being pierced bythe bolt and provided with serrations for engagement with correspondingserrations on the filling block, and a clamping nut engaging the threadson the bolt for locking the several parts in assembled position.

6. A disk cultivator including a wheeled frame, handle bars pivotallymounted on the frame, a yoke interposed between the handle bars andprovided with oppositely disposed horizontal arms, rods carried by theyoke, reversible disk carriers depending from the arms of the yoke,lifting fingers slidably mounted on the rods of the yoke, and trailingdisks carried by the arms and mounted for rotation at the rear of thedisk carriers.

7. A disk cultivator including an arched frame having stub axlesextending laterally therefrom and provided with brackets having openingsfor the reception of said stub axles, handle bars pivotallymounted'between the brackets and arched frame, and a yoke interposedbetween the handle bars and provided with laterally extending arms forsupporting a cutting tool.

8. A disk cultivator including an arched frame, stub axles extendinglaterally from the frame, brackets carried by the arched frame, handlebars interposed between the brackets and arched frame, a yoke interposedbetween the handle bars and provided with oppositely disposed arms forsupporting a cutting tool, adjustable braces forming a connectionbetween the yoke and arched frame, and a draft attachment extending fromsaid yoke to the upper portion of the arched frame and having its freeend deflected laterally on one side of the frame.

9. A disk cultivator including an arched frame having stud axlesextending laterally therefrom and provided with traction wheels,

brackets secured to the arched frame, handle bars interposed between thebrackets and arched frame, perforated standards secured to the archedframe, a yoke interposed between the handle bars and provided With meansfor attachment to a cutting tool, converging bars connecting the yokeand perforated ends of the standards and having their converging endsextended laterally on one side of the cultivator to form a side hitchfor attachment to a draft animal, ad-

justable braces forming a connection between the stub axles and saidyoke, and fastenin devices extending through the perforations in theuprights and engaging the inclined bars of the draft device.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN WV. WATSON. [1,. s] Witnesses:

J OE HORN, FRED STINEs.

